Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection No. 20 Madeira Cask Finish the 20th release in the Masters Collection series and a milestone expression: three Woodford Reserve whiskeys bourbon, rye, and wheat each separately finished in Portuguese Madeira wine casks, then blended together and further adjusted with an additional portion of Woodford’s unfinished wheat whiskey to balance the Madeira influence, creating the most fruit-forward and wine-influenced expression in the series’ history.

The Masters Collection began in 2006. In 2007, Woodford Reserve was among the first American distilleries to finish bourbon in wine casks a controversial move at the time, now common practice. The 20th release returns to that wine-finishing heritage with Madeira: a fortified wine from the Portuguese islands off the Atlantic coast, rich with dried fruit, spice, and nutty flavors from the distinctive oxidative aging process that defines Madeira production.

Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall’s approach to the 20th release was more complex than a simple cask finish: she finished three different Woodford whiskeys separately in Madeira barrels bourbon, rye, and wheat tasted each individually, blended them together, and then found that the Madeira influence was slightly too dominant. The solution was to add a portion of Woodford’s unfinished wheat whiskey, whose natural fruit-forward and floral character toned down the Madeira while amplifying the fruit character that already existed in the blend.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Dark cherries, brown sugar, and candied oranges sprinkled with clove and nutmeg; bright pepper and cedar wood through the dried fruit complexity
• Palate: Robust dried dark fruit raisin and dried cranberries fading into walnut and baking spice; the Madeira cask and wheat whiskey together produce more fruit complexity than any previous Masters Collection release
• Finish: Long candied walnut with lingering dried dark fruit and gentle spice

Specs

• Distillery: Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, Kentucky
• Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey blend, Masters Collection No. 20
• Finish: Portuguese Madeira wine casks
• Blend: Madeira-finished bourbon, rye, and wheat plus unfinished wheat whiskey
• ABV: 45.2% (90.4 Proof)
• Release: 2024 Masters Collection No. 20
• Size: 700ml

Browse the full Woodford Reserve collection at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Madeira wine and why use its casks? Madeira is a fortified wine from the Madeira Islands off Portugal, aged oxidatively in a warm environment that produces concentrated dried fruit, nutty, and spiced flavors. The casks carry those characteristics into the whiskey during finishing.
• Why blend three whiskeys and add unfinished wheat? McCall finished bourbon, rye, and wheat separately in Madeira casks, tasted the blend, and found the Madeira influence slightly too dominant. Adding unfinished Woodford wheat whiskey which is naturally fruit-forward and floral toned down the Madeira while amplifying the fruit character already in the blend.
• Why is this significant as the 20th Masters Collection? The series launched in 2006, and in 2007 Woodford was among the first bourbons to finish in wine casks. The 20th release honors that founding innovation by returning to cask finishing with a new wine type completing a circle from the series’ origin.

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